Russia’s embassy: Belarus hurried to consider equal income approach to selling gas

• 23.11.2009, 10:27

Russia planned to establish equal income prices on gas supplies to domestic consumers from 2011, but hasn’t taken a final decision yet.

Belarus raises a question on delay of the terms of establishing equal income prices on Russian gas too early, since Russia has not taken a final decision on the delay for domestic consumers yet. PRIME TASS news agency learnt this from Andrei Kuznetsov, the economic advisor at Russia’s Embassy in Belarus.

The diplomat added that there had appeared information that “Gazprom addressed the Russian government asking not to delay the terms of transition to market prices (for domestic consumers)”.

We remind that Russia planned to establish equal income prices for domestic consumers and for Belarus from 2011.

In June 2009, Belarusian first vice premier Uladzimir Syamashka said Belarus intended to raise an issue on extending the terms to establishing equal income gas prices for Belarus from 2011 to 2014–2015. Gazprom plans to delay transition to the equal income approach.

A source close to Gazprom, said in October that the Belarusian authorities could raise that question in late 2009, at talks on gas supplies to Belarus for 2010.